[Ynis Avalach]

I've just got my Grado RS1i

and wondered how to identify the 2 right and the 2 left wires for soldering to a balanced config, since they're all blue, without opening the beautiful enclosure of the Grados. Anyone ideas on this?
Greetz Ava

 

[FallenAngel]

Measure before cutting.

 

[les_garten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ynis Avalach /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've just got my Grado RS1i and wondered how to identify the 2 right and the 2 left wires for soldering to a balanced config, since they're all blue, without opening the beautiful enclosure of the Grados. Anyone ideas on this? Greetz Ava

I'll give this a whirl.

1st, are you sure they're ALL one color? I have some very new SR225i phones and the colors are different.

If they are all indeed the same color, strange, but we'll assume your statement is true.

I would pick an area close to the plug to very carefully cut thru the out sheath and expose the wire. Work slowly with sharp instruments. Expose the wires. You want to make sure you don't sever the wires till you can see them all.

Once that is done, nick open the insulation on each wire so you can get at it with a multimeter probe. On the Plug the Tip is the L Channel, the Ring is the R Channel, and the sleeve is the ground.

Use the multimeter to ID the wires that have continuity with the tip and the ring first. Mark them with Colored Sharpies would be good. Then you should only have ground wires left.

Separate your ground wires and check for 32 ohms between the grounds and your channels to ID which grounds go with which channels. Label.

Now you're ready to re-terminate.

Hope that made sense.

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[Ynis Avalach]

Oh it did, and thank you, haven't really thought about this method, good. I'll try it, although I always here a click, when I meassure headphone impedance. It's not the best.
Thank you
Pics to follow

 

[les_garten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ynis Avalach /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh it did, and thank you, haven't really thought about this method, good. I'll try it, although I always here a click, when I meassure headphone impedance. It's not the best. Thank you Pics to follow

You energize the driver very slightly. You will not hurt it. I am making the assumption here that you have an auto ranging DMM or have set the range properly.

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[Ynis Avalach]

Well yeah it's an auto ranging DMM, and since to pop/clicks is quite loud on my HD650s it's probablygoingg to be even a bit louder on them Grados, but I think nothing lethal.
Thank you again!

 

[les_garten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ynis Avalach /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well yeah it's an auto ranging DMM, and since to pop/clicks is quite loud on my HD650s it's probablygoingg to be even a bit louder on them Grados, but I think nothing lethal. Thank you again!

I check lots of phones this way...

I have two DMM, maybe I'll see what it puts out. But I really think it's trivial. The other thing you can do is this. Hook up a 1.5v Flashlight battery to some wire with clips or points. and use it.

Here ya go:

Put on Headphones >> Clip - pole of Battery to sleeve. Take positive lead from battery and touch exposed wires till you hear a click on the Right or left side. Label as you go along. The wires that don't click are grounds.

Then separate all your wires out. You've labeled L and R. You just have to ID the respective grounds. Hook the battery + Lead to the R Channel +, Touch your Grounds till you ID the R Grounds. The wires Left over are the L grounds.

The battery trick is a way to figure out spkr + and - if they are not labeled. That's what made me think of it.

If that doesn't work for you let me know. I also have a trick with a divining Rod!

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[Ynis Avalach]

First I cut a little test point in the wire insulation for finding the ground wires. They were all blue (4 wires).

After that I cut off the Grado TRS. You can see the different colors.
Red for left positive, white for right positive and blue for ground.

I cut back the insulation for 10cm and identified the ground wires for left and right, seperated the wires and put some heatshrink over them.
Soldered them to Neutrik XX-HE and am happy since^^

Greetz Ava

 

[les_garten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ynis Avalach /img/forum/go_quote.gif First I cut a little test point in the wire insulation for finding the ground wires. They were all blue (4 wires). After that I cut off the Grado TRS. You can see the different colors. Red for left positive, white for right positive and blue for ground. I cut back the insulation for 10cm and identified the ground wires for left and right, seperated the wires and put some heatshrink over them. Soldered them to Neutrik XX-HE and am happy since^^ Greetz Ava

Looks great! I'm going to use the same ends on all my gear. I used to Live in Vaihingen just outside Stuttgart for 6 years. Miss my time in Germany.

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[Ynis Avalach]

Thanks!
Really, I just got back from my first stay in the states, and I miss New York^^.
Well I love them XX-HEs, don't know, it's probably only looks, but they're great.
But I have to say that I wasn't convinced to stay with RS1 till I recabled them for balanced use. They do improve huge, to my taste! I love the bass they pump into my skull, it's more controled and much more impactful. The agressive in-your-face attitude is chalmed now although voices have come closer and feel more involved. And the attenuated highs have smoothened. Well if these words make any sense to you.

here is my SE-to-bal adapter:

Greetz Ava